Heber City Mayor Heidi Franco takes local government seriously. It’s in her blood, thanks to her father, who talked politics around the dinner table for decades. After serving 12 years in city government as a Heber City councilor and then mayor, she said there is still more good to do.
That’s why Franco is running for reelection.
An American government professor at Western Governors University, an online university based in Millcreek, Franco said she has always enjoyed the minutiae of political science, local government and civic engagement — all helped by her doctoral degree in political science from the University of Utah.
In City Council meetings, Franco has been known to say that she is a “bit of a nerd” about city code, zoning and infrastructure.
“I love the standards, the ideals of government, and that is really important to me that I bring that here to our city government and try to make it as efficient, effective and follow the highest standards possible,” Franco said.
Communication, transparency, accountability — those are the ideals of government Franco said she has held herself to throughout her term as mayor.
Franco said, for example, that she has worked to make sure the fiscal year budgets are easily available for the public to review and are as efficient as possible. As chair of the Heber Light and Power Board and the Heber Valley Special Service District, she has paid close attention to relevant goals and how inflation would affect operations.
“I’m working hard to make sure that they have clear budget goals so that they can understand what’s needed and what’s right for their capital plans, for their impact fees, for their rates,” Franco said. “I’ve pushed extensively for impact fees to keep up with inflation in the city at Heber Light and Power, and we’ll be doing that study at the (Heber Valley Special Service District).”
An avid researcher and note-taker, Franco is also a big fan of citizen surveys. It’s how she has gauged public opinion on hot-button Heber City issues like traffic on Main Street and downtown revitalization efforts.
“I’m been working extensively as (the Utah Department of Transportation) gone through their (environmental impact study) process. I’m the one that asked UDOT to send out letters to all the affected property owners now that their final routes could impact them,” Franco said.
When it comes to traffic, though, Franco said she knows the bypass is not a magic solution.
“We can’t just expect the bypass road to solve all of our problems. We hope the bypass will take the diesels off Main Street,” Franco said, adding that she has posed a few options to residents in recent surveys. “I’m proposing for stop signs or roundabouts, but other ways to cross Center Street, 100 South, 600 South.”
With downtown revitalization, Franco said she’s committed to listening to the community on what’s wanted and what’s not needed.
Franco has two passion points as well: open space and infrastructure improvements.
Working with the Wasatch Open Lands Board, Franco said she has proposed conservation easements across Wasatch County and especially in the North Fields.
“That is huge to me,” Franco said about the county’s vast open space. “I mean, that’s why I love it here, too.”
Infrastructure, Franco said, is just as essential. By developing a stormwater runoff plan that accounted for future population growth, Franco said she and city staff were able to get ahead of the recent and incoming growth. After three years of developing a plan and “quite a bit of debate” to ensure the stormwater did not end up in the North Fields, Franco said she is satisfied with the result.
Thinking ahead — even past another possible four-year term — Franco said Olympics preparation should also be top of mind. Franco represented Wasatch County on the 2034 Olympic bid committee.
“We have a lot of plans, lots of things that we would love to get ready for the Winter Olympics in 2034,” Franco said. “It’s going to take funding … the county, the city, Midway — we need to support each other in our grant applications so that the state and the federal agencies or funding agencies can see that we’re united and that we want to help each other achieve the different amenities and infrastructure that we want to build for the world as well as for our own communities.”
As a foundation for her possible next term, Franco said she will continue the standards that she has held herself to over the past four years. With support from her husband and her 12 children, Franco said she feels good about continuing her path as mayor.
“I’ve almost served 12 years in the city government, and I’ve enjoyed so, so much of it because I really want to give back and serve,” Franco said.